A Story Before War
by Stitchar
Summary: <html><head></head>This is a story before the War. It's a story about a young leader and his small charge.</html>
1. Leader and his Charge

**AN: Just something that came up from my mind. **

**Enjoy.**

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><p>Underneath the hidden base in Cybertron, a lone mech walked through the silent hall, thankful that no-bot would bother him tonight, even his old friend he had known from the different caste. His shoulders were tense, straight and laid back as he kept his stature, his arms were relaxed, but they clenched in few moments or so to keep his energon flowing as he had a figure to keep to his comrades.<p>

Even though the halls were quiet, he wasn't planning on to relax his posture until he had reached to his destination. A hidden, small destination that only he, himself (and few whom he trusted the most) know where.

He had finally reached to the destination, which was a door. But it wasn't just a simple door, it's a special door of his special one.

The door was colored grey, like any other doors in the hallway, but he had added a little bit of yellow to show where the special one is living at this moment. No bot knew of this door, passing it off as another door that they believed was where he had placed something there that he doesn't want them to go in (it was also the fact that it was right at the end of the hall, which was where he was living right now) and goes on with their life. Even his Second-in-Command was aware and was staying away from it, which he was thankful for.

He pressed few buttons, which he himself only knows as well as few whom he trusted the most. The door dinged in confirmation and whooshed open, letting him able to enter in the world that only he, himself can relax to.

The room wasn't large, but it wasn't small either with few yellow and black streaking through the wall like thorns and few toys that he had seen the other younglings have littered in one corner with a box. There were few seatings that are most comfortable for him to sit on as well as tables with data-pads that had education and stories that he can read for the special someone in this room.

In the other corner laid a berth. The berth was small, small for a youngling as he walked up to the berth to see the small lump that was sleeping during his outing.

He smiled when he saw the limp form.

The source of the lump was a youngling, the smallest youngling he had ever seen in his whole life ever since the youngling was born from the Allspark itself. Of course, he didn't tell his old friend from the higher caste because he knew he was selfish when it comes to things he wanted to protect.

His silver digit poked the youngling and the youngling itself moved a bit, squirming and whined as its nap was disturbed. He chuckled, seeing his charge's optics flickering tiredly as it woke up to see who had disturbed its sleep. He watched in amusement as the blue swirling optics spin frantically as it saw him.

"Mega!" The youngling chirped, its nap forgotten as it crawled toward to 'Mega' wanting to be picked up. 'Mega' didn't complain as he picked the youngling up from his berth and placed the youngling to his chest where his spark laid. The youngling thrilled in excitement as it listened to its guardian's spark pulse.

"Hello youngling." 'Mega' chuckled, "How was your nap?"

The youngling looked up at its guardian and chirped in confirmation that he had a good stasis nap which was enough for 'Mega' to accept as an answer. After all, the youngling is still young.

He carried the youngling to the corner where the toys were kept and picked up a vehicle toy that reminded him of his old friend from the higher caste. He set the youngling down and passed the toy to the youngling who squeaked in thanks and started playing by setting the toy down and made few ignition noise while pushing the toy back and forth. 'Mega' smiled as he settled himself in the chair that was close by and relaxed as he watched the youngling play with its toy.

It had been a long cycle, he mused as he leaned back in his seat, watching over his soldiers to make sure they hadn't killed each other or done anything stupid. At least he was glad that his SIC, Starscream and TIC, Soundwave were sane enough to keep them in line while he was absence, though his Second-in-Command and Air Commander himself was probably having a field day to be in charge for a while.

Well, let him enjoy as much as he can, he can handle his Second-in-Command later after he had finished watching over his young charge.

Of course, he doesn't leave his charge unsupervised. While he was busy leading his followers, he had entrusted his few comrades he can trust mostly on, especially the red medic, named Knockout, who had escaped from the high towers and knows when to keep his mouth shut unlike few blabbermouths he had met. Of course, the red medic adored the youngling during the first introduction and he had entrusted Knockout to watch over his young charge while he was leading his followers to the equality movement.

Knockout didn't complain about it.

Though, Knockout seemed to know that he comes back during the youngling's stasis nap cycle and would leave the room before he reached the room, but he was glad that Knockout at least did lock the door he left just in case no bad bots had stumbled upon to this room.

"Mega?"

'Mega' looked down at the yellow youngling, who was holding his new toy, which was a stuffed doll of one of the thirteen primes from the youngling stories.

"Yes, youngling?" He answered as he leaned forward, his light blue optics shining softly at the youngling. The youngling looked down at the floor and looked back up at his guardian.

"What outside?" the youngling asked, asking an innocent question to his guardian. 'Mega' paused, he was hesitant on what to say to his charge. He knew his charge would ask about the world outside someday, but came so soon. What will he say to the youngling that there was a riot going on outside and that he was the leader of it? Not only that, but the world was too dangerous for his youngling to go outside.

However, the youngling's unique swirling optics urged him to answer.

"Outside is..." 'Mega' wasn't good at answering question much more than Knockout who had a bit more patience than he does as well as few others. But the youngling absorbed any kind of answers 'Mega' provided because he knew the youngling trusts him the most.

"Dangerous." He concluded, "Too dangerous for a youngling like you to be there."

"Why?" The youngling asked, squeezing the doll tightly.

'Mega' sighed, "There are Cybertronians who likes to use their power to change other bot's life and created a system that we have no say to it." Of course the youngling doesn't seem to understand what he was trying to say, so he decided to simplify it a bit more.

"Bad bots controls our life." He states, "And there are good bots that goes against their power."

"Like the therteen?"

'Mega' chuckled, remembering the story he told to his youngling "Yes, like the thirteen, youngling."

Then the youngling squeaked, "Then, then you like the Mega'tonus and others!" it twittered excitedly as it twirled around, swinging the doll around like a dance partner. 'Mega' cannot help, but chuckle at that display.

"Yes, Youngling." He answered, "I'm like the Megatronus and the others."

-.-

He was here again, the High Council Building with his old friend, Orion to speak with the High Council for hoping to hear their plea for the change for the race. Of course, he was more worried of what the High Council would think of him, being nothing, but a Gladiator who seemed much more articulate when he speaks. Of course, they never knew of his young secret as the same with Orion. It's better to keep it that way anyway.

"Megatronus," His friend whispered, interrupting his thoughts, "are you ready for this?"

"Aren't I ever, Orion?" Megatronus smiled as both he and his archivist friend entered in the council hall for meeting.

The building itself was impressive, built for the rich and never the poor, unless they had done something terrible. Megatronus was never the one to be impressed by the magnificent building because he had visited this area a lot more to hope to persuade the Councils to heed his plead. The riot cause by his followers were enough to catch their attention that he was serious. Of course, his followers were more careful to never hurt any casualties as hurting one another was the last thing they needed.

Of course, fighting was the only thing Megatronus had known ever since he was introduced, as well as the dark side of the Cybertron before he had lost his creators and his adoptive creators to the blasted Council.

Taking a deep intake, both he and Orion walked up to the podium where the Councils itself waited

-.-

Megatronus was mad-scratch that, he was beyond furious than any other bots in the whole Cybertron.

The Councils, of course refused to listen to his plea, but listened to Orion when he intervened before any trouble started. It was a last straw for how those blasted bots looked down upon him like he was nothing and yet, looked at Orion as if he was the mech that they approve of because of his higher caste than what Megatronus has.

He needed the change to happen, Primus! He wasn't doing this for his followers, for himself, but for the youngling that he raised in secret so it doesn't suffer the prejudice and caste system. He wanted to create a haven for his youngling to play and walk on, never to ashamed how he looked, how he was born, and how he was raised.

Megatronus let his anger died down. No, he won't risk losing his youngling to those blasted so-called Autobots that the Councils had created. Not even Orion has the right to see it as well, since the youngling is his to raise and the fact that he might tell to the Council about it and risk losing his youngling.

Not wanting to see Orion after what the Councils need to say, he stormed out of the building, ignoring Orion's plea to listen to what he needed to say.

Yes, he'll feel guilty for leaving Orion alone in the building, but for now, he doesn't want to deal with anything.

Right now, he wanted to see his youngling.

-.-

"Bad bot no like you?" Megatronus looked down at his young charge, who was playing with blocks as it stacked different colors to create a tower. Megatronus sighed as he leaned back against the chair he was sitting on.

"No, youngling," he answered, "bad bots just don't like what I wanted to say."

"Why?" the youngling asked, it's swirling optics looked up at its guardian, curious. Megatronus sighed again as he gestured for the youngling to come close to him, which the youngling obliged, already forgotten about its blocks. Megatronus picked his charge up, and placed the youngling on to his lap.

"Its because of how I was born," Megatronus continued, "Probably because of how I look."

"Mega, not bad!" the youngling retorted, "Mega, good. You good to me."

"I know, and others know it too." Megatronus sighed, mentioning of his followers and his friends, "But the bad bots doesn't want to listen to them. Talking to them is hard, and they only listened to the other bots that are only worthy of their time."

"Is that why your optic red?" The youngling asked, and Megatronus blinked in surprise, "'Cause you're mad at them?"

Megatronus wasn't aware that his optics went red, he can't even remember when was the last time he saw a mirror nor does he remember when it became red, when it was blue. Probably when he walked out from the Council Building? He wasn't sure at that moment, but then again, his followers and his comrades didn't question it either.

"I...guess." He answered lamely, still puzzled on to why his optics went red. Could it be permanent? He at least hope it's not, the last he needs is his charge to be afraid of his changed optics.

"I like it." The youngling piped, shaking the thoughts out of his processor as he looked down at his charge, "Look good too."

Megatronus chuckled, patting his charge's head, "Thanks, I guess. Well its past dinner-time so how about we get some Energon before you recharge?"

"Yay!" The youngling cheered as it slid off of his lap and skipped toward to the door, jumping to one spot to another as it wait for its guardian to open the door that was too big for him to reach, "'urry up! 'urry up!"

"Don't forget your little Ony, little one." Megatronus replied as he picked up the yellow and black doll from the floor to give it to his youngling. The youngling squeaked and reached for its doll, hugging it tightly around its neck, which Megatronus was sure that it would pop off any time soon.

"Stay close, alright?" Megatronus replied to his charge as he picked the youngling up, its yellow and black wings twitching with excitement as it purred as he set the youngling close to his chest.

"Kay." replied the youngling and Megatronus opened the door to head out to head toward to the storage to where he kept the low grade. Normally the energon disposal would be at the Rec center, but he didn't want to risk himself to have his followers to see him carrying a small youngling he had worked hard on raising in secret.

Upon reaching to the storage room, he pressed few coded number to enter in. While it holds all their fuel source, he still doesn't trust any of the followers, excluding from any higher officers he has to just barge in and grab whatever they want. After all, this is the room where they keep high grade in case for celebration.

He looked down at his young charge who was playing with its favorite doll, chirping at it few times as if its speaking to an actual figure. He smiled softly at the young charge, as he pressed the enter button to open the door.

Before Megatronus could even register, the whole world started to cloud in red fire and earthquake.

-.-

"...ous...tronus...Megatronus!"

Megatronus groggily onlined his optics as he saw his men looking at him with concern.

"Megatronus?" He heard the familiar beep of his third in command, Soundwave asking him, "Okay?"

"Where...?" Sudden memory of him being attacked in fire came rushing to his mind, "What happened!"

"Someone had found out our base." Starscream replied, glaring at any possible betrayer hidden in the crowd, "and destroyed it within seconds. Thank Primus that this is our only secondary base."

Megatronus wanted to yell at Starscream how in the world their secondary base was discovered until he noted the vacant space in his arms. The youngling! Where did his youngling go! He had his charge in his arms before the fire had engulfed them!

Just where...!

Knockout, laid his servo on his leader's arm to get his attention. Megatronus did, seeing his Head Medic looking hesitant. He, of course, said nothing to his leader, but instead, handed something small to Megatronous.

"I'm sorry." was all he said, "I couldn't find him...this is all I could find from the wreckage..."

Megatronus looked down at the small, yet familiar item in his servo. It was a doll, his charge's favorite doll of the thirteen primes that he had gotten for him. The doll, used to be clean, was now charred with ashes and burns, its bright yellow and black now dull by the attack that none of his troops had seen it coming. Dread came in full course through Megatronus's spark; the youngling was eaten alive by the explosion as well as his men. Another innocence lost and he doesn't know why Primus had taken his only joy away.

But Megatronus knew one thing. Who to blame for all this happening.

The Councils had betrayed him.

"Decepticons!" He roared, his spark shattered beyond the dreams, "Retreat to the Main Base!"

The Decepticons who had survived, heard his command and transforming into their respective alt. mode, they all escaped to the Main Base where High Council and the 'Autobots' won't find them. Knockout was hesitant to leave his leader behind.

"...Megatronus, sir?" He asked as he watched his leader looking down at the doll with pained optics, fire roaring around them as a reality of the death unavoidable crashed around them.

Megatronus said nothing, but placed the ragged doll in his own compartment for safe-keeping and transformed. Knockout did the same, but to make sure his leader wasn't going to do anything brash during the trip back to the Main Base. He had to warn Soundwave about Megatronus's slight change of behavior. Of course, the trip was short and fast, but to Knockout; it felt like stellar cycles as he watched his flying leader's form from above, making sure he didn't take a side trip. Thankfully, his leader didn't, which was a good relief for Knockout.

Once they had reached to the main point, Megatronus transformed into his bi-pedal form as the same with Knockout. From where they had transformed, Knockout can see other Decepticons already transformed and whispering to each other what had happened at the secret base they had kept so quiet about.

"Decepticons," Megatronus's deep voice boomed through the vast field and all the Decepticons quieted down, even Starscream, much to Knockout's surprise-was quiet, "While the meeting with the Councils did not go well, I have realized upon to my grief that they had betrayed us!"

A large outcry was heard throughout the whole group of Decepticons, screeches of seekers and ex-towers were heard through the crowd, loud roar of gladiators and low-class shook the air, and growls of middle class were silently caste. Knockout hissed at the sudden revelation, they were framed at best and nothing would go well.

"But fear not, my comrades!" Megatronus roared, quickly silencing the outcries, "I, Megatron, will avenge our brothers and defeat those fools of the Council and their petty lapdogs to bring our own peace! For Decepticons! For Cybertron! For Future!"

"'Til All are One!" Everyone, even Knockout shouted as they raised their fist in the air, their hope for equality burned once more.

All optics burning red with redemption.


	2. Welcome to the Autobots

**Chapter 2**  
><strong> Welcome to the Autobots...<strong>

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><p>"Aw...This is bad." Optimus Prime looked up to see his weapon specialist, Ironhide looking at the carnage that was done by the Decepticons. Optimus wasn't sure if it was the Decepticons that had caused this such riot or if it was a different enemy, but the evidence was enough to point at Megatronus, now Megatron-according to his newly recruit, Jazz; who had caused such damage to the area.<p>

"Search the area," He commanded, hoping to find any survivors that had managed to escape this Pit, but he knew his hopes were in vain-there won't be any survivors around here.

But he had to be sure. So sure of it.

_'Ratchet to Prime.'_ Optimus jumped, not expecting his medic to call him in the comm. link, _'I scanned everything as I can from my radius, but there's no life signature other than ours, Optimus. They're all gone.'_

"Damn those Decepticons!" Ironhide growled, "Its the Youth Sectors, now this!"

Optimus hold his helm down as he thought sadly about the Youth Sectors. It had happened after when Megatron had walked out on the meeting with the Councils and to make his own matters at his own hand, Optimus held the Matrix of the Leadership for the higher knowledge.

He rubbed his chest absentmindedly, wondering if he did made the right choice of becoming a Prime in such a short notice, now that the war had begun to take its peak. He was starting to lose hope for any sign of a miracle.

Then, he heard his comm. link ringing.

_'Jazz to Autobots'_ Jazz called,_'I found something. You...should see this.'_

"What is it, Jazz?" Optimus asked, hoping that whatever Jazz had found, he hoped it would bring something to the whole Autobots.

_'...Its best if you saw it first hand,'_ Jazz commed back, abruptly cutting off the link before Optimus would even reply.

"What made Jazz so jumpy?" Ironhide asked, following the Prime as they headed to the spot where Jazz was, their scanner still locked on to his location, "I hope its not something life-threatening."

"Knowing Jazz, it's something mystical."

Both Ironhide and Optimus transformed into their respective auto-form and drove quickly to the location that Jazz given them. Along the way, Ratchet joined them, receiving the same frequency from Jazz.

The terrain they were driving through was getting bad, more and more rubbles compiled together like mountains and few unidentified grey matter were skew apart, ornamenting few poles and mountains that were too high up for the pulsing sparks to see the other side. It was a death mountain and they knew it.

Along the way, it became too much for them to drive. They quickly transformed back into bi-pedal and walked along the way looking at the massacre with horror that would burn through their motherboard for life.

"This is terrible..." Ratchet mumbled, "I don't know why Jazz is all the way here."

Optimus did not disagree with that. How far did Jazz go?

"Guys!" Jazz's voice, a bit further away from where they were. He was clutching something in his arms, protecting something from the horrid nature of burning metal. The rest of the older bots came up to Jazz with careful steps, as they didn't want to step into the huge death trap of the broken building. As far as Optimus was concerned, this place is quite huge for being just a broken building. Perhaps a base? But why would Megatron would aim or the base that was not threatening him? Maybe he saw something that was a threat and had it destroyed. Possibilities are quite endless.

"We must be in the heart where the cause of the devastation had happened" Ratchet concluded as he looked around "How could anything survive from this heart of the destruction?"

Jazz, said nothing, but motioned Prime to come closer, still holding something small in his arms. Opitmus cautiously walked up to his soldier to see what he had in his servo.

When Jazz handed him, Optimus and the rest cannot help, but widen their optics when they saw whom Jazz had found from the heart of the explosion.

"How is this possible?" Ironhide asked in awe as he looked at the small, yellow youngling, "I thought all sparklings had died."

"We gotta thank Primus for small miracles 'Hide." Jazz piped up, his doorwings flapping in sheer enjoyment that he won't be the youngest out of the team, somewhat glad that he would be an older brother to the small yellow one.

However, despite the amazement that the youngling had survived, the yellow youngling only shivered in fear. And before any of the Autobots would blink, it started to cry.

"Ohhh, ooh." Jazz panicked as his doorwings flapped down as if ashamed that he had scared the youngling, "What's wrong? What did I do? Optimus, is this normal?"

As the spy looked at his leader, Optimus wasn't so sure either, he knew it was normal for younglings to cry for their creators or guardians, but younglings also cry for attention or their need, so in truth, he wasn't sure. And he wasn't sure who the creator of this youngling was.

"Slaggit! Give it here!" Ratchet muttered, as he gestured to the Prime to hand him the youngling to him, which Optimus complied and watched as Ratchet soothed the youngling by placing the youngling close to his chest where his spark was. Much to the others amazement, the youngling calmed down-only for little.

"Where did this sparkling came from?" Ironhide asked, as he leaned a bit forward to study the youngling a bit better. The yellow and black squeaked and buried its face against the medic's chest, not wanting to see any of the strangers looking at him.

"I don't know, he's too far away from the Youth Sectors and he seemed far too young to be a youngling. He must've been born during this whole massacre. I'm actually more surprised he survived this pit-hole of an explosion-look, half of his bodies are burnt. I need more than just few armors and gears to fix this." Ratchet answered as he scanned the sparkling for any injuries, "His energy is low. He must've been malnourished for quite a while too I bet."

"Does he have a name Ratchet?" Optimus asked, "we can't just call him sparkling all the time when we reach to the base."

The sparkling gave a buzz, it's doorwing flapping as it recharged on to Ratchet. Poor thing must've been exhausted to try to survive Optimus thought. However, Jazz gave out a small amusing snort.

"He sounds like an organic bug. Like those bumblebees we heard from the other planets that have organics in them."

"Bumblebee, huh..." Ironhide mused as he petted the sparkling's head, who in turn purred at the touch in its sleep, "it kinda suits him, yellow and black coloration and all."

"Bumblebee it is then." Optimus smiled as he watched the youngling sleep, "Welcome to the Autobots, Bumblebee."

Bumblebee, of course said nothing, but dreamed of his guardian, who was far away, grieving his loss.


End file.
